AFTER DELTA, UNITED and American Airlines recently announced that they were hiking salaries, private aviation’s pilot shortage suddenly became even more acute, in no way aided by the fact that some commercial airlines now pay six-figure signing bonuses. According to industry surveys, corporate pilots sometimes earn just 60 per cent of their commercial-airline peers’ salaries during a 30-year career.
“The lure of a much bigger salary can be hard to fight,” says Sheryl Barden, CEO of Aviation Personnel International, who has seen veteran pilots from Fortune 500 flight departments—long viewed as the job to retire from—leave for the airlines. The outflow is also a lasting side effect from the pandemic.
“COVID exacerbated the shortage when the airlines retired so many pilots early,” says Dondi Pangalangan, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Clay Lacy, a specialist in privateaircraft management, charter and maintenance. “That created a hole. Now it’s a vacuum, sucking every pilot in our industry towards it.”
This story is from the January 2024 edition of Robb Report Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2024 edition of Robb Report Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Celebrating Traditions
Celebrations: Tradition Reimagined sees the Commune flagship showroom furnished with local artist Goh Beng Kwan's new collage works evoking the zeitgeist of the Lunar New Year.
Resilient In The Extreme
Here’s how some architects are tackling the challenges of climate change.
Building Blocks
CEO of retail investment start-up BigFundr, Quah Kay Beng, on starting small and thinking big.
Food For Thought
Didi Gan, co-founder and managing director of biosciences start-up N&E Innovations, on staying the course and making a real impact in the sustainability industry.
The Woman Behind the Hermès Man
For 36 years, Véronique Nichanian has supplied the exacting creative vision for the storied French house's menswear. Her secret: navigating the space between fashion and style.
All Dressed Up, Everywhere To Go
Drawer the Daytona—a small, slim dress watch is the discerning wristwear of the moment.
Jewel In The Crown
Bvlgari’s Lvcea watch looks more radiant and sensual since its debut over a decade ago.
Deeply Committed
More than a year after the Titan disaster, interest in deep-sea submersibles hasn't just returned-it has flourished.
First Class On Four Wheels
Recline in an oasis of relaxation or have a private business meeting on the go—the four-seater LM 500h from Lexus ticks all the boxes.
Making Waves
Noam Bounekala, a 27-year-old upstart hotelier, turned a business-school idea into an impressive network of private villas. Next up? A Michelin star.
